Scott Tsui's knowledge and experience in the last ten years, coupled with his genuine desire to make a positive change in the lives of his fellow gay brothers, has culminated in his latest accomplishment, his book, Lonely No More, a practical guide for single gay men who want to find the right man for a stable and lasting relationship.

I was only five years old when the book first came out. I only got a hold of it eight years ago when I was a college Sophomore. I still remember my knees trembling slightly and my forehead breaking out in discrete beads of cool sweat as I brought it to the librarian.

So, you really need to make sure you look your best at all times—and looking your best isn’t only about being well-dressed or having that “killer” haircut, sexy t-shirt or a great smile.

More and more these days, other men are checking out your skin. No doubt they look you up and down to see how your body appeals to them or check out your sense of humor or clothes, but good skincare is becoming more and more essential.

The state of your skin can tell any observer a lot about you, about your lifestyle and the way you care for yourself generally.

The most famous openly-gay celebrity, Hon Seok-cheon, actor and restaurateur, is seeking to be elected an administrator within the Yongsan District Office, a large district in the center of Seoul.

If he is elected, it would be quite an accomplishment in a country where homosexuality is still very much a taboo. While same-sex relationships are not illegal, they are not afforded the same legal protections and privileges provided to their heterosexual counterparts.

For the closeted gay man, or lady for that matter, life can therefore be very stressful, very fraught. Keep your head down. Make sure no-one sees you out with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Double check that no-one is unduly watching you (especially in Singapore).

I don't need to give you any deep insight to the meaning of the word “gay.” I think most people will know that it has the archaic meaning of “happy.” When “gay” started to be used in English to mean “homosexual,” it was eventually exported as such to the rest of the world. “Gay” for “homosexual” is now a common word in many languages like German and Japanese and also now in Vietnamese. However, in Vietnam, the words “gay” or “boy” do not always mean the same thing.

…I ran across an intriguing pic of two very handsome, well-built, topless young men in a confrontational pose. One was Asian the other Anglo. Upon clicking on the image, it turned out that it was a still photo from the trailer of a short film called, Squared (2013). It was very intriguing in that it is about what happens when an Asian guy and an Anglo guy get together for a one-night stand. (Hint: the Anglo guy gets schooled.) …it concerned a subject with which I could very much identify – racial stereotyping.

Little did Angel know that her seeming ridiculous hatred towards me was mutual. Brought up in a Catholic family and straight from a Catholic high school, I had a secret prejudice against cross-dressers. To me, they did not have to go as far as dressing and acting like women to rub it in people’s faces that they do not identify themselves as men. To me, I was better than Angel and the countless other transgenders who slave themselves in beauty parlors. And I let this unspoken pride and prejudice thrive in my chest, even as I talked face to face with her. I didn’t know any better.

In some ways, the Nepalese approach to life and death, and in this case, tragedy, are very different than that of most westerners. Some might say their outlook is stoically admirable in a general sense.

The overwhelming majority of the people in Nepal practice Hinduism, with beliefs in karma (action, intent, and consequences), Dharma (duties, ethics), Samsara (the continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), and Moksha (liberation from samsara or liberation in this life), as well as the various Yogas (ways to attain Moksha).

Nevertheless, a tragedy is a tragedy, and we, as a global community, owe it to them (Dharma), and to ourselves (karma), to help our fellow humans whenever and wherever we can, with donations, large or small, with whatever we can afford. Please give if you can. Below is a link where you can choose for which organizations you would like to donate.